Vending machine



May 26, 1931. G. MORRISON .VENDING MACHINE Filed March 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. eorge Morrison,

AM U.

A TTORNEY.-

y 6, 1931. c. MORRISON 1,806,814

' VENDING MACHINE Filed March 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Shea! 2 INVENTOR- Qeorge morrisorl kbi r rw H A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE MORRISON, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK VENDING MACHINE Application filed March 21, 1930. Serial No. 437,657.

, tion of a coin by the purchaser and the manipulation of a push rod whereby the article is ejected.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this kind that shall be simple of operation, contain few parts, and be, proof against operation without the use of the coin.

While the invention as here shown is of a single unit, it is to be understood that a series of units may be employed, placed side by side,

also that the conveyor means may be adapted for any shape or size of article to be vended and that any suitable casing may be employed to house the mechanism.

It is alsoto be understood that the operating mechanism may be adapted for any size of coin desired, depending upon the price of the article to be sold.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel'construction and combination of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which like figures of referenece refer to corresponding parts in all of the views, and that slight changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. i

In the drawings r Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vending machine in which my ideas are embodied and a part of this view is shown with the front of the casing removed to disclose the working parts. v

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, also shown with a part of the casing removed to disclose the working parts, and this view also shows the position of the several parts just after a coin has been inserted, but before the operating push rod has been moved.

Figure 3 shows a partial side view, and the relative position of the operating mechanism, just after the push rod has assumed its first position by which the latch is released.

Figure 4: is a similar view, showing the push rod in its last position whereby the conveyor is released to vend one of the articles.

Figure 5 shows a partial top plan view of the coin controlled mechanism in its receiving position. a

Figure 6 shows a similar View, but with the coin holder in its discharging position.

Referring to the drawings, a vertical or gravity operated machine is shown, and comprises in part a casing 10, divided vertically into the chambers 11 and 12; the chamber 11 containing the conveyer and known as the magazine or article chamber, and the chamber 12 containing the operating mechanism.

Within the casing near the top thereof is journaled a shaft 13, in a freely rotatable manner, and upon this shaft 13 is secured a pulley or sprocket 14 formed with the teeth or lugs 15; and upon a similar shaft 16 rotatably mounted in thecasing near the lower end thereof is a second pulley or sprocket l7; and

carried by both of said sprockets 14 and 17 is an endless conveyor 18 which may be in the form of a belt as shown or a chain or other suitable means; said endless conveyor being provided with article supports 19 secured thereto and in proper spaced relation so that the articles to be vended (here shown as small jars) 20 may rest one upon each of the supports 19 on the front side of the conveyor, the rear or upward traveling side being empty; it being thus seen that the weight of the. articles on the front face of the conveyor 18 will carry the conveyor downward as the/lower sprocket'is allowed to revolve,.suitable mechanism being provided to allow the conveyor to move in a step by step manner to deliver one article at a time, andthis mechanism being controlled by the insertion of a coin into the slot 21.

The operating mechanism, comprises a mounting plate 22 which is attached to the partition 23 by the attaching screws 24; said plate being formed with a coin chute 25 covered by a plate 26; and in line with the bottom of said coin chute 25 and adapted to receive the coin 27 therefrom is a 'coin holder 28, open on the front and bottom, and mounted on the upper end of an arm 29 which is both slidably and rotatably mounted in a bearing 30 formed on the plate 22; said coin holder 28 being normally held in a coin receiving position by the spring 31.

Directly below said coin holder 28 is slidably mounted on the screws 32 a plate 33 formed with a slot 34 for the screws 32 and a flanged top and bottom; the flanged top 35 adapted to support the coin 27; while its lower flange 36 is in contactwith the rounded nose o1 the push rod member 37.

Said push rod member 37 is formed with a bore 38 and a finger piece contains a spring 39 and is mounted on the outer end of the push rod 40, which is slidably mounted in the bearings 41 and 42 which form a part of the plate 22; and said member 37 is further provided with a stop hoe-h 43 engaging the bearing 41 and preventing the removal oi said member 37.

The bearing 41 is formed with a hole 44 in the top thereof at right angles to its bore, and within this hole is mounted a latch pin 45 which is formed on the bottom end of the arm 29, and the push rod 40 is formed with a notch 46 adapted to register with the hole in the bearing 41 and receive the latch pin 45 to lock the push rod 40 against movement.

Adjacent to said bearing 41, the push rod 40 is provided with a Z-shaped arm 47, engaging with a pin 48 carried by the arm 29 for the purpose of turning said arm 29 by the rearward movement of said push rod 40.

The escapement mechanism for the conveyor, comprises an escapement wheel 50 which is termed ith the teeth 51 and secured on the shaft 16 within the chamber 12, and in the path of rotation of this escapement wheel 50 is pivoted to the plate 22 as at 52 a U-shaped latch 53 which is formed with the two teeth 54 and 55 adapted to engage the teeth 51 of said wheel 50; while the depending end 56 is pivoted as at 57 to the push rod 40, and a spring 58 is attached to said end 56 and to a screw 59 in the plate 22 to normally retain the latch 53 in the position shown in Figure 2, in which it prevents the downward movementof the conveyor 18.

The operation of the device is as follows The front portion of the conveyor 18 having been loaned with the articles 20 to be vended, the machine is closed and the mechanism is in the position shown in Figure 2.

Upon the insertion of a coin 27 into the chute 25, the coin will roll into the holder 28 and rest upon the flange 35 providing a block between said flange 35 and the under side of the top of the holder 28.

Next by exerting pressure on the member 37 the rounded nose of: the same will contact with the flange 36 forcing the plate 33 upward and by the medium of the coin 27 the holder 28 will be raised against the action of the spring 31 thus raising the pin 45 from the notch in the push rod 40, and by a further movement inward by the member 37 the push rod 40 will be moved inward, thus rocking the latch 53 to release the tooth of the escapement wheel 50 allowing the conveyor to descend a suflicient distance to deliver one article 20 to the customer.

At the same time that the latch 53 is rocked into its other position whereby the tooth 54 is brought out of engagement with the tooth 51 of the wheel 50 and the tooth 55 is brought into the path of the next tooth 51 to act as a stop; the rod 47 is carried backward and by its engagement with the pin 48 it will slightly rotate the arm 29 and swing outward the holder 28 as shown in Figures 4 and 6, allow ing the coin to drop into the cash drawer 60.

Upon the release of the member 37 the springs 39 and 58 will cause the mechanism to assume its original position ready for its next operation upon the insertion of another coin and the manipulation of the push rod as before.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patents, is

1. In a vending machine, a push rod adapted to be reciprocated, a finger member slidably mounted on said push rod, a iocm'ng pin engagin said push rod to lock the same against movement, a coin holder adapted to receive a coin, a flanged plate slidably mounted between said finger member and said coin holder and contacting with the coin to raise the locking pin from engagement with the push rod when actuated by the finger, and means carried by said push rod for swinging the coin holder to release the coin therefrom.

2. In a vending machine, a coin controlled lock, comprising in combination with a coin chute, of a coin holder adapted to receive the coin, a push rod formed with a locking notch, a locking pin carried by said coin holder and adapted to engage said notch, a flanged plate slidably mounted below said coin holder, :1 finger member mounted on said push rod and adapted to contact with and raise said plate together with the coin and holder to raise the locking pin from engagement with the notch in the push rod allowing the same to be moved.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE MORRISON. 

